


Silly Hawkmoth, Trixx Are For Kids

by irlmagicalgirl



Series: Is This How You Feel: The Story and Its Sequels [2]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Alya is the star of this one, F/M, Fox Miraculous, Illustrated, THE SEQUEL IS HERE, You guys know what the story is, and this is what happens next, trixx - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-26
Updated: 2017-06-07
Packaged: 2018-10-24 04:42:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 12,159
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10734333
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/irlmagicalgirl/pseuds/irlmagicalgirl
Summary: "Dear Mlle. Césaire,This is rather sudden and certainly more personal than is my habit. However, thanks to certain recent circumstances, I found this most appropriate. I'm sure you understand.I am a long time fan of your blog. I have been since day one, and I have always found you to be rather talented. It has come to my attention, however, that your talents extend much further than I realized."Alya opens the box sent to her at the end of Is This How You Feel, and its contents cause her to be involved in the lives of Ladybug and Chat Noir more than she ever has been before.This is the first sequel story for the popular fic, Is This How You Feel, complete with illustrations.





	1. Trixx

**Author's Note:**

> THIS IS A SEQUEL. IF YOU HAVE NOT READ "IS THIS HOW YOU FEEL," WHICH IS THE FIRST PART OF THIS COLLECTION, PLEASE TURN BACK AND DO SO NOW.

_**Recap – Then:** _

_Dear Mlle. C_ _é_ _saire_ _,_ it read.

_This is rather sudden and certainly more personal than is my habit. However, thanks to certain recent circumstances, I found this most appropriate. I'm sure you understand._ _  
_ _I am a long time fan of your blog. I have been since day one, and I have always found you to be rather talented. It has come to my attention, however, that your talents extend much further than I realized._

_You are a very clever girl, Alya, as I know your friends would be quick to confirm. Far more clever, I think, than most around you. You are fiercely loyal – a trait that I, personally, have always greatly admired in others, rare though it may be. You are an impressive leader, and quick on your feet._ _  
_ _More uniquely, it has come to my attention that you have remarkable intuition. A great deal of this, I'm certain, comes from your cleverness. Much of it, however, is a magic you were born with. This magic has a mind of its own, and has come to the surface recently because it knew it was finally, desperately needed._

_Few have this magic. Your friends do. I do. But even fewer have the kind of magic that you have, which is why you and only you could receive this package. What you will find within the black box contained will further explain all there is to know about your magic of cunning, cleverness, and uncanny intuition. In fact, I think you'll find that it will enhance it._

The letter was overwhelming to Alya, and though she knew exactly what it was talking about, she didn't understand until she saw the signature at the bottom.

_Kindly, Mr. Turtle._

Her heart leapt with surprise and excitement as she picked up the black box with a slightly shaky hand and opened it. Before she could even make out what the box contained, it glowed bright orange and she dropped it quickly. As if out of nowhere, something small and furry, not unlike a little fox, floated in front of her face. She watched it with wide eyes, now feeling similar to how her slack jawed classmates must have felt earlier that afternoon.

“Hiya! I'm Trixx!”

**Now:**

Alya felt a sudden rush of emotion. Moments earlier, she had been entirely content and mellow. Her best friends were _finally_ together, Hawkemoth was stopped (well, for at least a week, surely), Nino owed her money, Adrien was awake...The soulmate connection between Marinette and Adrien no longer pulled at her because they were together and she had no more work to do. She had no more secrets to keep.

Well, that wasn't _entirely_ true.

She had kept Mari and Adrien's secrets from _each other_ pretty well, though their soulmate connection literally jerking her around had made it difficult. Since neither of those posed problems any longer, she was relieved, but she _did_ still have secrets to keep. As owner of the Ladyblog, knowing the identities of Ladybug and Chat Noir gave her even _more_ power than she had already had by running the blog itself. Continuing to pretend to her followers and fans that she had no idea who the heroes were would be difficult, she was sure, but not as difficult as it had been to keep herself from telling the heroes themselves. She had been at _peace_ for the first time in what felt like months.

And in one burst of orange, her mellow mood melted.

She felt her knees go week, and her heart rate picked up double time. She knew what the letter was referring to, she knew who Mr. Turtle was, and, if she was being honest with herself, she knew what the little creature was floating in front of her face. Still, her mind was not letting her accept the situation. It wasn't that she didn't _want_ what was being handed to her. In all honesty, she supposed it was the only thing she had _ever_ wanted, and had only stopped letting herself dream to preserve her own sanity. She had only dreamed for so long that she couldn't let herself believe it was true. Of course Marinette could be Ladybug. Of course Adrien _was_ Chat Noir. She could see the magical strings connected soul mates together and she had led the search for Hawkemoth – and found him. But this could not be reality. It had to be a mistake. The letter and package had made it to her, and the information had been accurate, but it couldn't mean that she _deserved_ the box and what was contained. Her cleverness and magic the letter referenced _couldn't_ mean that the box belonged to her. It couldn't.

“Hello? Are you in there?”

The little orange creature was floating in front of her face, waving tiny paws.

“I- Yeah, uh-huh, I'm here, I just...I don't understand?”

The creature produced a tiny groan. “He told me you would understand...”

“He? I don't...you're a kwami, aren't you?” Alya asked. She knew it was the truth, but the fact that she had one in her room at all was difficult to fully grasp.

“Well, maybe he was right,” the kwami said, putting her tiny wrists on her hips.

“Sorry – Trixx, you said? My name is Alya. Um..Who is _he_?”

The kwami rolled its eyes and Alya judged quickly that she wasn't much like Tikki at all.

“Didn't he sign the darn thing...?”

She flew to take the letter from Alya and skimmed it to the bottom. “Yeah! Right here! _Mr. Turtle._ Master. He told me if I showed up with this letter, you'd understand everything.”

“Wow, he really has high expectations of us.” Alya supposed it was fair to group herself, Marinette, and Adrien as an _us_ now. There was a kwami in her room. She didn't understand what kind it was, or why she was needed, or what she had really done to deserve anything, but she could at least comprehend that she was more like them than she was like anyone else in Paris.

“Not _too_ high,” Trixx said matter-of-factly. “He's only given you all what you're more than capable of doing, or he wouldn't have given it to any of you. That's that intuition you two share. He knows who can handle what he dishes out. He expects a lot out of you all, but that's only because he knows what you can all do.”

“Such a teacher-like thing to say,” Alya said.

Trixx shrugged. “They don't call him _Master_ for nothing.”

Alya released a deep breath she didn't realize she had been holding. “Can I just...sit down for a bit?”

Alya plopped down on her bed before Trixx could even respond.

“Sorry,” Alya said after a few soothing breaths. “I just need to...absorb everything for a bit.”

Trixx nodded and stretched out on the bed next to Alya, yawning. “Sorry, been dormant for a pretty long time.”

“That's alright, this is a yawn-safe space. So. You _are_ a kwami.”

“That has been a established, yes.”

“And...you're here to deliver a message, or...?”

Trixx chuckled, sounding rather mischievous as she did so. “You could say that. A message and more. Where's that box?”

Alya looked up and around, nearly forgetting there had been a box at all. “Um, over on my desk...”

Alya got up to get the box, not realizing how much her legs felt like jelly until she stood. She fell backwards on to the bed when she came back, careful not to fall on Trixx, and looked at the little box's contents. She hadn't really considered the fact that anything else would be in the box aside from the kwami herself.

“ _There_ we go!” Trixx said, clapping her little paws together. “ _That's_ what I came to deliver. That and myself. We're kind of a matched set.”

Inside the box was a simple necklace with a fox tail charm. She _knew_ what it was – if Trixx was a kwami, and the letter was from Mr. Turtle, then the necklace _had_ to be a Miraculous. There was no other answer or explanation, but Alya's shaky hands around the box said she still could not fathom the truth.

“It's...a Miraculous, isn't it?”

“Well done,” Trixx said, smiling slyly.

“How many are there?”

“Total? Well...aside from this one, your friends, Ladybug and Chat Noir, Master being the Turtle, and Hawkemoth, there are still two more that are dormant.”

“Wow...and...this is mine now?”

“It's yours now.”

Alya inhaled and exhaled deeply again. “Alright, can I...backtrack here a little bit?”

“Sure...mind if I have some fruit or something while you figure things out? I have a feeling this might take you some time. And I haven't eaten in like, years.”

“Oh, fruit, sure, yeah...”

Alya hurried downstairs, starting to accept the situation. Mari had a Miraculous, Adrien had a Miraculous, Mr. Agreste had a Miraculous, and now, so did she. She wasn't sure what it did yet, but as much as she had been involved in everything that had been happening recently, she supposed it was only fair that she be more officially included. She just hadn't considered the fact that it was actually _possible_ , or that she would be recognized so largely for everything she had been done. Even then, she couldn't be certain why someone decided she was needed _now._ Why was this Miraculous only showing up after the biggest thing that had every happened in the lives of Ladybug and Chat Noir, when she perhaps could have been presented with her Miraculous at the same time that they had been?

She filled a grocery bag with a banana, two apples, and an orange before headed back upstairs to her bedroom.

“Wow, you don't mess around...,” Trixx said with awe, peering into the bag that Alya had brought back up to her. She dove in and brought out the banana which was twice her size. “Not that I don't totally love this, and I do, but for future reference, it might be more convenient for you to carry around...smaller pieces. So, what do you need to know?”

Alya watched Trixx begin to devour the banana. “Well, for starters, is that what you like to eat? Fruit? How often do you eat?”

“Yeah, this is pretty much what I like best...And I don't need too much. Only when I'm tired. Or bored. Or I've been asleep for _ever_.”

“And...do you, like...need to be potty trained?”

Trixx laughed. “Charming. _No,_ I don't need to be potty trained. I'm a god, not a dog.”

“Right. Okay, then. I guess...I guess I should really start with this letter, then,” Alya said, grabbing it and running her eyes down it to see where she should begin. Now that Trixx had her fruit, she seemed to be more mellowed out and content to patiently answer Alya's inquiries.

“So, this intuition he's referring to...this _magic,_ ” Alya said, finding the spot in the letter that she was looking for.

“You know what that's in reference to, right?” Trixx asked, cheek full of banana. “Because if not, Master might have sent me to the wrong person. That would be a problem.”

“No, I do. I know what it's referring to. I guess I just don't _understand_ it. The magic, I mean. I don't understand why I have it, or what it means, or does, or why he knows about it. And what it has to do with...well, any of this.”

Trixx swallowed. “Okay, okay, well, why didn't you say that in the first place? I thought you really didn't understand _anything._ Which wouldn't have been...the most ideal of circumstances. Master isn't always the best with communication. Well...you've experienced that already. He told me you'd understand...I figured he might have meant that you'd be expecting me. Or that you knew more about what was going on.”

“No, I pretty much only know that I've got some... _ability_ , I guess. And I have no explanation for it. Well, and I know that my friends are Miraculous holders, but I never expected that that would turn me into one.”

Trixx finished the bit of banana that she was holding and cracked her knuckles.

“Well, then, _now_ I can help you. So, tell me a little bit more about this _ability_ and all the freaky stuff goin' on in your head.”

“Hey!”

“What, you wanna tell me it isn't freaky?”

“...Fine. It's pretty freaky,” Alya agreed, although she didn't think a god-like creature that was only twice the size of her pinky finger had any right to be judging what was freaky and what wasn't.

“Go on, then.”

“Right...,” Alya started, but wasn't even sure where to begin. It was one thing to try to describe to Marinette what was going on, but it was another to tell a kwami, who probably already _knew_ what was going on, what she was experiencing. It was like the difference between describing your symptoms to a friend and describing them to a doctor. To a friend, she could just whine that she didn't feel great, but to a doctor, she would have to explain the exact details of what hurt, and where, and for how long at a time. And then, in that case, every detail generally escaped her mind. “Okay, so first of all, I have this _intuition._ I mean, _I've_ never really referred to it that way, but...well, I guess it's what Mr. T- I mean, the Master also has?”

“Yes, that's correct. And your friends, Ladybug and Chat Noir, have a sort of intuition, too, but to be honest, their powers are more like each others' than the rest of ours. They have powers together that we don't have, and we share powers that _they_ don't have. If anything, despite the levels of age and experience, you are more like the Master then Ladybug and Chat Noir. _Their_ intuitions have to do with each other. If they were to _lose_ each other, they'd be able to find each other in almost no time, and they have an ingrained ability to gravitate towards each others' identities.”

“Wow, you could have fooled me,” Alya scoffed.

“I know it probably feels frustrating,” Trixx said. “I have been active plenty of times before when past Ladybugs and Black Cats haven't known each other, and the Fox has a tendency to figure out their identities before they do, but really, they are led to each other far quicker then, say, a regular civilian would be. And they appear in each others' dreams and all kinds of fluffy stuff. That kind of thing grows stronger over time. Now that they know each others' identities, those intuitive powers will most likely sky rocket.”

“What about a romantic connection?”

“What _about_ a romantic connection?”

“Well,” Alya said, “our Ladybug and Chat – wait, you haven't met them, have you?”

Trixx shook her tiny head. “Nope. Know nothing about them. Other than the fact that they're active. And that you apparently know them. Master told me I was coming here, and here I am, and that's that. I've only been awake for a day. I suppose I can kind of hear what's going on when I'm dormant, but still, I don't really know anything about them.”

“Okay, well, our Ladybug and Chat are kind of...a couple now.”

“Oh, yeah, that's pretty common. Unless they're, like, twins or something. That's happened before. Sometimes they're best friends, but then their partners get all jealous because the Ladybug and the Black Cat always have a bond that's stronger than anyone else's. But yeah, romantic relationships are pretty run of the mill. So that kind of does make the intuition stronger, yeah, but it gets pretty damn strong anyway. They're probably just going to reach milestones with each other faster than if they were to not be a couple.”

Alya raised her eyebrows at the kwami's use of the word _damn._ She hadn't considered the possibility of kwami's cursing, though she had only ever really spent time with Tikki.

“What?” Trixx asked.

“Nothing...just, the more I hear you talk, the more I realize you aren't really like Tikki at all. I guess it's unfair to assume that kwamis are all the same.”

“You've met Tikki?” Trixx asked excitedly.

“Mhm,” Alya confirmed. “I've seen Plagg, too, actually, but I don't really know him very well.”

Trixx tapped her chin. “Yeah, I suppose I'm not much like Tikki at all...I can't say I'm much like Plagg, either, although I'm definitely _more_ like him than Tikki. We have the same brand of humor, I guess. And we both like pranks. But...well, you're right, we are all just different. I'm happy to hear that you've met Tikki, though. Miraculous holders don't always get the pleasure of knowing each other in person, so sometimes us kwamis go years and years at a time without getting to see each other physically. This might be a very happy arrangement, then. I've missed my friends dearly.”

“That makes me very glad, too,” Alya said honestly. She wondered how soon she could tell Marinette about Trixx. It was only fair to do it soon. She had known Marinette's secret for so long, and she had no real reason to keep it a secret, like she and Adrien did with each other. Trixx really seemed to miss her kwami friends, too, and who was Alya to keep friends from each other any longer than necessary?

“Well, more about this intuition business,” Alya said. “So mine is more like the Master's?”

“Yes,” Trixx confirmed. “Master, the Butterfly, the Peacock, and the Bee...you all have similar intuitions about people. Take the Butterfly, for example. His base power is to create and control personal soldiers. The current Hawkemoth has been doing this for villains, but how do you suppose he can tell who is feeling upset enough to be akumatized? That's _his_ intuition. He's attuned to the emotions of others, and it stretches pretty far, like a radar. The Turtle is always the Master, thanks to _his_ intuition. They aren't _always_ the most experienced, but since they can live the longest, there's a good chance your Turtle _will_ be most experienced. But even our Master started his job as a kid. What makes him Master is just the fact that he is in charge of all the Miraculous, choosing the holders, and answering questions, as he is blessed with knowledge that none of the others can have. He has the intuition of seeing who is born with the ability to be a holder. He can see your abilities like a glowing halo around you. He could see your Ladybug's and Black Cat's abilities and the way they were connected.”

“That's like -”

“Yes, that's very similar to yours,” Trixx confirmed. “One of your intuitions is seeing the Soul Mate Connections. Master can see the connection between potential Ladybugs and Black Cats _only,_ and the abilities of everyone. You can see the abilities of no one, but the Soul Mate Connections of _everyone_. This is because, for whatever reason, one of the Fox's responsibilities is bringing these connections together. Don't get me wrong – it's arduous work, and sometimes impossible, but it's rewarding. We're like the cupid of the group. The Peacock has intuitions to help others find beauty, though not always physical, and the Bee has premeditative intuitions. Personally, I think ours is the most fun. Consider me the Aphrodite of the group.”

Alya laughed out loud, though glad to hear that her strange ability was actually normal, as far as Miraculous powers went, and that she wasn't just going crazy. She agreed that it sounded the most exciting of the given powers, although she knew the pull of certain connection would cause a strain at times.

“And the Master saw this in me?”

“Mhm! Don't forget that this is just an additional ability,” Trixx added. “The Turtle wouldn't be very useful if he could _only_ sense the abilities of others, and Hawkemoth would be useless if he could _only_ sense emotions. It's just...a perk, if you will. Your other intuition is related to your true power.”

“I have other intuition?”

“Sure,” Trixx said. “The innate one you've had since birth. The intuitions that make you what you _are._ Your cleverness is one. Your cunning. Your ability to get what you want and figure out what you want. What I'm sure you consider to be your...detective skills. That's how I've heard old foxes refer to it.”

“But...well, I feel like I've _always_ had that.”

“And you have. You probably just didn't realize it would be related to your future Miraculous,” Trixx said. “Chosens are born with their abilities. I'm sure you feel as though you've only just started being able see Soul Mate Connections – is that right?”

“Well, yeah, that's true, it hasn't been happening for very long.”

“The truth is,” Trixx said, “you've always had that ability, too. It was just dormant. Kind of like how I've been dormant. And it came up when it was needed. Dormant abilities and intuitions make their appearances when they need to. I bet Master saw your abilities long ago, and knew that you were destined to have the Fox Miraculous, but knew it wasn't _needed_ until now.”

“But...but I don't really understand why it is that I'm needed _now._ ”

Trixx gave Alya a sympathetic smile. “I'm sorry, but I can't exactly say why that is. Only the Master can. I know that you were always the one meant for the Fox, and I know Master has probably known this for a long time...he probably knew how you would help your friends _without_ the Miraculous, and knew that, at this time, you'd be helpful as the Fox. He probably knew when he first saw you that you couldn't see Soul Mates yet, and knows that you can see them now. There's no end to his knowledge really, but we don't really always understand it. I know what he told me about you, and now, here I am. I know you're clever, and I know that I'll like you,” Trixx said with a smile. “And I know that you're my new Fox, and we'll be _great_ together.”

Alya ran hands through her wild hair. She was now, finally, starting to accept and understand. It was now starting to feel natural, as though she had _always_ been the Fox. She now understood it what she was _meant_ to be. She now, for the first time in her life, truly understood the word _destiny_.

“So...do I have a cool costume?”

Trixx flew up into the air. “Ooh, that's my favorite part!”

She flew down to Alya's hand and made a valiant effort to pull her Chosen up and off the bed, but to no avail. Alya took the the hint anyway and followed her kwami to the long mirror in the corner of her small room.

“So – how does this work? Do I get to have a cute phrase and all that?” Alya asked. She knew that Adrien and Marinette had key phrases to trigger their transformations, but in the few minutes she had dedicated to thinking, she couldn't come up with any stand out fox traits that would lend themselves to a cute saying.

“You _do_ have a cute phrase!” Trixx said, clapping her paws together. “All you have to do when you're ready to transform is – are you ready? - _Stockings up!_ ”

“That's it, huh?” Alya asked, careful not to repeat the phrase back. She still needed Trixx to explain a little more. “Do foxes... _have_ stockings?”

Trixx wiggled her arms and stuck each of her legs out, shaking them one at a time. “Well, sure! You see? See how my arms and legs are black? That's the stockings. Although, well, for you, it's a little more literal. You'll see. Go on and transform. When you're ready to come out of it, you just say -”

“Stockings down?”

“You got it! You sure catch on quick.”

“Well...here goes nothing, I suppose,” Alya said, taking a deep breath. She wondered quickly and quietly to herself if Adrien and Marinette had similar first experiences. Perhaps not; Alya was (surely) more aware of what a Miraculous was than they had been, and she had already known of two kwamis before meeting her own. In all fairness, she should have been the _least_ confused and shocked of the three of them, and yet, she couldn't say for sure that that was the case. She made a mental note to ask Marinette and Adrien about the their first experiences later. She stretched her arms and touched her toes before deciding it was time to transform. She opened her mouth and -

“Oh, wait!” Trixx exclaimed. “I totally forgot!”

She flitted all over and found the black box again. “You have to put the Miraculous _on_. Duh!”

Alya laughed, already growing extremely fond of her new little friend. “Yeah, I suppose that would help, wouldn't it? Help me out?”

Alya picked up the pendant and handed it to Trixx, moving her mess of hair out of the way to let the kwami clasp it together.

“There! Looks good!” Trixx said, admiring it. Alya couldn't say she was _wrong._ The pendant didn't seem quite as large while she was wearing it. In fact, once it was on, it was rather nondescript.

“Did...did the color fade when I put it on?”

“Hm? Oh. Yeah, maybe a little. It'll look a little different when you transform anyway. It'll divide into five sections, and when the sections all turn black, you'll lose your transformation. Um, well, there will be plenty to learn on the job as we go. For now, just go ahead and transform and see how the get up looks on you.”

Alya took a deep breathe – she had been taking many of them lately – and said the phrase confidently.

“Stockings up!”

Before she was sure she was ready, Trixx was practically sucked into the pendant around her neck. There was so much orange light glowing around her, she was sure pedestrians would be able to see it from the street, glowing from her window. She was reminded of when she saw the green flash of Adrien's transformation that had given him away to her.

The magic had physically lifted her into the air as it changed her. She looked down at her body, watching in awe as her regular clothes almost literally melted away, just as quickly as a new outfit melded itself to her. And then, she floated back and her feet touched down jut as soon as everything had started. The orange light had faded and the only proof she had that any magic had happened at all was staring back at her in the mirror.

“Trixx?”

There was no answer. Alya looked down. The little creature must have been contained in the pendant. She had never really asked Mari about what happened to Tikki during a transformation, but she supposed she _hadn't_ seen the little red kwami flitting around during an akuma attack.

Her reflection was nothing short of, well, _miraculous._ She hadn't been quite sure what to expect, other than orange and foxy, and that was only based on her little kwami. She supposed that much was rather obvious.

She was wearing a leotard like bodysuit, not unlike Ladybugs. It covered her neck entirely, and was long sleeved. The black of her arms created the illusion of gloves, but she was pretty positive that there was no separation between the part of the costume that covered her hands and the part that covered her arms. She was black from fingertips to elbows, which faded into the orange that covered her up to her shoulders, and neck, and then down her sides to her hips. Her center was beige and the pendant that sat against her beiged chest was indeed brighter than it had been when she was untransformed.

The part that was the most _unlike_ Ladybug's attire were the legs. While Ladybug's costume was all one piece, fingertips to toes, and all encompassing, Alya was intrigued to see that her own thighs were entirely exposed. Her suit cut her around the hips, like a swimsuit, or something a ballerina might wear under a tutu. _Then,_ she saw that she really _did_ have stockings. Literal ones. How they stayed up past her knees and tight around her round thighs was a magic in itself. They didn't need garters or adhesive of any kind. They were simply the most lightweight, though totally opaque, stockings she had ever seen and they were quite literally stuck to her. In fact, Alya would not have been surprised in the least if Trixx were to tell her that the “stockings” actually replaced her real skin during the duration of the transformation. It was rather remarkable. She didn't seem to be wearing shoes, either. A heel simply came out of the bottom of her foot, attached to the rest of the stocking in one piece. For all she knew, the heel was an actual part of her foot as well. The heeled stocking was really less a part of the suit and more like an addition to her leg that she had always been missing. She couldn't feel where it stopped and her own flesh began – it was all one. She wondered seriously if her bit of exposed thigh was even her thigh at all, or if it was just an illusion; invisible armor, or an extension of the stocking that happened to be the same tan color of her skin.

So enthralled with how her body had been transformed, she hardly realized that her glasses had been replaced with a mask – and she could see just as well. The mask was as stuck to her face as the rest of the suit was, and it was then that she just decided to consider it all a second skin. Her hair had been pulled back into a bushy ponytail, faded white at the bottom to mimic a fox tail and, if she wasn't mistaken, her roots had become a bit more orange as well. A pair of fox ears protruded from the top of her head, and though she still had her human ears, she found that she could move the fox ones slightly, just as she would move a limb, and ear full conversations happening on the street below if she focused closely enough.

She turned, finally, curiosity getting the better of her, and noticed that she had an _actual_ fox tail, the twin of her ponytail, hanging from her backside. It was tied around her waist by a nearly invisible twine, and when she realized this, she tried shifting it around. She did so successfully, moving the tail from her backside over to her hip, and noticed that it had a little zipper. She unzipped it to reveal a little fife, small enough to fit inside the tail.

“Huh. Well, I'm sure that'll come in handy for...something?”

She replaced the fife and slid the tail back to it's starting place before turning back to look at herself in the mirror again. She had to admit: she was kind of... _hot_. She wondered if there was a reason her thighs her more exposed than Marinette's were in _her_ outfit, or if there was a reason she had heels on her feet. Not that it mattered to her either way. She was actually extremely comfortable, and the heels didn't even feel any different than if she had been wearing slippers. Even better was the fact that, by looking at her face, she wasn't even totally recognizable. She knew that there was a kind of _wall_ magic that guarded others from knowing the identities of Miraculous holders, no matter _how_ recognizable they were, but it still felt kind of cool to not look exactly like herself. She already looked pretty different without her glasses, and she _never_ wore her hair pulled back. Plus, her hair wasn't even the same _color._ That was more than Marinette and Adrien could say for _their_ transformations. She had to say, she was pretty pleased with the look and even _proud_ that she had been given the fox. It fit her. Even if she had to transform to really feel that, she knew the fox abilities were a part of her, suited up or not.

Still, if anything, her transformation had only given her _more_ questions. It seemed like a rather inconvenient drawback that she couldn't communicate with Trixx while transformed, but after all she had been given, she didn't figure she that she had much room to complain. Almost worried that it wouldn't work, only because she had never done it before, she detransformed.

“Stockings down?” She hadn't intended for it to come out as a question, but her lack of confidence made it inevitable.

“So? What did you think?” Trixx asked excitedly.

“I _love_ it!”

“Looks pretty great, huh? I'm impressed.”

“You're impressed? After all the foxes you've probably had before me?”

“Well, sure,” Trixx said, shrugging smally. “I've never seen _this_ suit before. See, all the suits are different.”

“They...are?”

Trixx tapped on her chin. “I don't suppose you've seen any pictures of any old Ladybugs, have you?”

“Afraid not...well, I think there was something about an Egyptian one...”

“Right!” Trixx exclaimed. “But it's not just Egyptian. Miraculous holders have existed across time and across the world. The suits not only have to fit the environment, but the holder as well. My last fox, for example, Kitsune, was from Japan. She wore a short furisode. Very traditional...and she could hide things in the sleeves, which turned out to be useful for her, but...well, I can't say you'd need that, exactly, for what you're going to be doing. Your little tail pouch should suffice, I'm sure...”

Alya's hand went to her backside where the tail had been, forgetting that it wouldn't be there.

“So _my_ suit -,”

“Fits the modern age a little more. Modern Paris. It's fit to you and your personality, the tasks at hand, and where we're at. Sleek. Good for jumping around buildings, keeping up with Ladybug and Chat Noir...you see, Miraculous holders are not always all located in the same place. They aren't always active at the same time, and the Ladybug and Black Cat aren't always needed. Kitsune, for example, was the only active Miraculous in Japan for a while. Even when Ladybug and the Black Cat _are_ active, it isn't always necessary for them to have back up that needs to keep up. But you do. So here you are. Sleek and all.”

“And the heels...?” Alya asked. “Ladybug doesn't have heels.”

“My own personal touch,” Trixx winked. “Adds a little something, don't you think? Who says we can't work in style? They won't be any more difficult to work with than flat feet, don't worry. Besides, a kick with a heel is better than a kick with a flat foot. Just think of it as an extra weapon.”

Alya shrugged. “Alright, works for me. What about the...instrument? In the tail? I don't know how to play music.”

“That would be a fife. It has...various uses. It'll be a great weapon for you. I'm a big supporter of learning on the job, but you can use it as a distraction, or you could flat out whack someone over the head with it, if you wanted to. Can't say it wouldn't do some damage. It's harder than it looks.”

With a turn of her stomach, Alya recalled the fact that Chat – Adrien – had been struck over the head by his father's cane. She wasn't sure she was quite ready to be smacking heads with a blunt object just yet.

“Most importantly, you can use it for your special power.”

“I have more?”

“Well, this is kind of the big daddy of powers, if you will. You've seen Ladybug use her Lucky Charm, right? Where she can summon an object to help her? Or even when she uses her purification to set everything back to normal? And Chat Noir uses his Cataclysm to destroy an object.”

“Yeah, sure.”

“Well, this is yours. It's very fittingly called called _Outfoxing_. It'll basically create a clone of you that can go ahead and fight in your place with the same level of skill you have yourself, and then the real you can go take care of other business. You use the fife to control your clone, after you trigger the ability, but after that point, it only works for up to fifteen minutes. And that's if I'm being generous. It's usually pretty lucky if it lasts for _ten_ minutes. The power can get exhausting for me, and it will exhaust me even further, depending on how much you and the clone are trying to get done. That's why Chat Noir and Ladybug probably use their powers when their job is already almost done. I don't even need to see them in action to know they do that. If you make yourself a clone because you're lonely...well, sure, maybe it _will_ last for fifteen minutes. But if you need a clone to help with an especially bad enemy, and the both of you are _still_ getting, well, decimated, it's not going to last very long. I know, I know, it's kind of a sucky deal, since you probably need the time _more_ when you're just getting wrecked, but that's how it goes. And when it's done, it's done, and you detransform so...use it wisely. Like I said, we'll learn on the job.”

“Wow,” Alya said, looking down at her hands, imagining all the potential magic that would be done with them.

“Kind of a lot to take in, huh?”

“ _Kind of,_ ” Alya said. “Yeah, that's one way to put it.”

“Exactly why I'm a fan of learning from experience. You'll be a natural, though, I can _feel_ it. You're already starting out with so much more knowledge than most of the Chosens do. _And_ you already know your partners. You kind of hit the Miraculous jackpot.”

Alya couldn't help but smile. Trixx was right – it really couldn't have been handed to her on any more of a silver platter.

“I just have...one question though,” Alya said, smile falling slightly.

“Just one?”

“Well, just one that can be answered quickly. Is there really no way we can communicate while I'm transformed?”

“Oh, that. Well, we _can._ Eventually,” Trixx said. “The thing is, I can't really tell you... _how_. It's one of those abilities that will crop up when...well, when it's time to crop up.”

“Wow, not vague at all.”

Trixx shrugged apologetically. “I know. A lot of this is actually pretty vague. To be honest, it's pretty nice for a change that you started off knowing so much. And that you already know of two Miraculous holders, let alone the fact that you actually _know_ who they are. It's a lot firsts, but it's terribly convenient. If you think things are vague and confusing _now,_ well, try being a Miraculous holder and never having heard or seen anything like this at all before. No point of reference.”

“Huh. Well, I suppose that's how Marinette started...”

“Ask her about it sometime. Really,” Trixx said. “See how she learned things without having base knowledge. Things will come to you quickly, and you'll learn from your friends, too, I bet.”

Alya fell back onto her bed, her fingers finding the pendant around her neck.

“So. I really have a Miraculous.”

“You really have a Miraculous.”

“I'm a fox super hero.”

“Sure, you could say that,” Trixx agreed, digging for more fruit in the bag that Alya had brought up.

“So...could you tell me more about...Kitsune? Maybe by learning more about the foxes that came before me, I might...I don't know, feel more comfortable in this skin.”

“That's probably not wrong,” Trixx said. “The spirits of all the Miraculous holders before you – at least the ones that had _your_ Miraculous – fill you when you wear it. So actually, you have a little bit of Kitsune's spirit in you now. Among others.”

Alya sat up quickly, surprised. “ _Really?_ Wow...So...well, my friends are the same, right? They have the spirits of their predecessors in them, too?”

“Yes, it's universally the same. Although I wouldn't take it personally that they never told you, if that's what you're thinking. It's kind of...a personal thing I guess. Sharing souls with...well, I suppose you can call them your ancestors. You're not related, but literally sharing a soul with someone might as well be even closer than that.”

“Yeah...that makes sense,” Alya said, and when she considered the fact that her body was now the temple to souls other than her own, she understood how it could be such a personal thing. It was kind sacred – at least the most sacred thing she had ever been in control of.

“So – Kitsune?”

“Yes, what was she like?” Alya asked excitedly, even more eager to hear about her predecessor now that she knew the Japanese Fox was quite literally a part of her now.

“Well, for starters, she was quite the brilliant thief.”

“A _thief?_ ” She wasn't sure what she expected. Brilliant hero, brilliant savior, brilliant beacon of hope, but thief?

“Well, don't be too quick to discount her! It was partly what she was needed for at the time. She was like a Robin Hood for her people – the whole _steal from the rich to give to the poor_ kind of thing. And only when necessary. In fact, she was often used to steal possessions _back_ and return them to victims that had been initially robbed. She just happened to be a master of the cat burglary kind of style. And then there was this whole situation with taxes being taken illegally and all kinds of horrible humans things I don't entirely understand. She redistributed wealth. She was considered more of a vigilante in Japan, but that's honestly pretty common in the Miraculous line of work. Sometimes you get royal defenders, but more often, you get Robin Hoods.”

“Oh. Well, okay, that's actually pretty cool,” Alya admitted. It was a different kind of justice, but it sounded like it was the justice that had been needed in Kitsune's time.

“That's kind of why her furisode was so ideal. She could have had a yukata, or, really, she could have had an altogether more sleek outfit. She was active mostly in the 80s and 90s, so it's not like she couldn't have been suited a little more modern. The furisode set her apart though, and, well, have you ever _seen_ a furisode?”

Alya laughed softly. “I'm not even sure I know what it is.”

“It's a kind of kimono, as is a yukata. A furisode, though, is known for very large, long sleeves. Kitsune was a _master_ of carrying things in them. She could steal from ten people and keep all the bounty in her sleeves at once on her way to redistribute the wealth.”

“I guess I wouldn't succeed as a thief, then,” Alya said.

“Well, you _might_. You have the same tools at your disposal. Foxes are naturally very good at being stealthy, and with your Outfox ability and the fife, you have the best built in distraction possible. But, no, I suppose you don't have very many places to hide spoils.”

“Hey, Trixx?”

“Hey, what?” the kwami replied, teasingly.

“Why did the Master choose me? I mean, I get why it was _me_ , but why _now?_ I don't really understand why he decided to give it to me now, instead of when my friends got theirs, for example.”

Trixx sighed. “Well, I can't speak _entirely_ for Master. He can be pretty cryptic, honestly, and I only know what he tried to tell me, but I think he made the decision based on the fact that Ladybug and Chat Noir tried to eliminate Hawkemoth and...well, failed. I guess he just thought they needed back up, and since you were _already_ their best secret weapon, he decided it was time to give you the power boost you needed. Like I said, you were already destined to have the Miraculous. I guess he just thought it would be best to bless Ladybug and Chat Noir _first_ in order to acquaint them with each other, since that's such a vital part of the intuition they share, and then bring you in once he saw that they could use a little extra help. It just goes to show you how well he is at figuring out when to present a Miraculous, since you got it almost at the same time your Soul Mate intuition kicked in. Call it Miraculous Wisdom.”

Alya started to giggle. “Okay, okay, refresh me real quick – I can see Soul Mate pairs, Hawkemoth can sense emotion, the Turtle has this...Miraculous Wisdom, you called it, the bee...wait, what were the others, again?”

Trixx smiled, sensing Alya's amusement was working up to something. “The Bee has premonition, so they could see a few seconds, or even up to a full minute into the future. Hard to control and happens most in dangerous situations, but useful as hell. Peacock can see potential beauty and inner beauty in order to help reveal it.”

Alya's smile grew. “And...Ladybug and Chat Noir just...have intuition regarding each other?”

“Correct,” Trixx said. “I mean, if they got really good at it, and I mean _really_ good, they could probably start to finish each others sentences, or sense where the other is, but at its base stages, it mostly just helps them to find each other and work well together.”

“And they _still_ had a hard time! Even without my intuition, I found out who they were before they did.”

“Well, that's just because you're the best,” Trixx winked, and gave Alya a tiny high five on her finger. “I think you'll learn that I'm kind of biased towards my own Chosens...”

“I think you'll learn that I have _no_ problem with that,” Alya laughed. “I'm kind of biased towards you, too, girl. Anyway, is it just me, or is their intuition kind of...the lamest?”

Trixx started laughing hard. “It _is_ the lamest! I tease Plagg and Tikki about it whenever I see them. Them and their mushy gushy buddy intuition. They have the nerve to tell _me_ that _I'm_ the mushy one, but at least we can help bring more people together, you know. They have intuition only for _each other_.” She clasped her paws together and batted her eyelashes mockingly.

“I guess it's only fair that I tease my friends, too, but I bet they don't even _realize_ they have a power like that. I mean, they sure don't act like they're trying to utilize it to the best of their abilities.”

“That's pretty brutal of you,” Trixx said, smirking. “I think you and I are going to get along very well.”

Alya stood up off the bed and stretched, going back to her long mirror to admire herself. She didn't look any different than she did when she got home that day, other than the nondescript pendant on her chest, but knowing the knew power she had just made her _feel_ different. She had a new kind of confidence and suddenly felt the need to carry herself differently – higher, even. She felt a new kind of responsibility to not only protect others, but herself as well, now that she knew her body housed the souls of heroes that had come before her. She knew that no one would know about all the souls inside of her, and she knew those souls couldn't be seen, just as much as her own soul couldn't be seen, but she couldn't help but think people would see her as something _more_. She could feel the souls slowly starting to add to the person she was, and she wanted to live up to their legacy. In her body, they were receiving new life, and she wanted to make sure it was a good one. She wanted to treat them with respect, despite the fact that they were simply another part of her own existence now.

“Hey, Trixx, when was the last time you were outside?”

“You mean, like, my physical self?”

“Yeah, your real little kwami self. When was the last time?”

She let out a deep breath. “Wow. Shoot. Um, maybe...twenty years?”

Alya's eyes grew wide. Despite knowing it probably hadn't been since the last time the Fox was active, it was still a shockingly long period of time.

“Well, then, what do you say we go for a little outing then? I have some things I need to do. And...well, maybe we can have a little test run. What do you say?”

“I'd _love_ that,” Trixx said gladly.

“I suppose you'll need to tuck away somewhere...Mari keeps Tikki in her little purse and Adrien...well, I honestly don't know for sure where he keeps Plagg, but he's got lots of big, deep, boy pockets. My hair's big enough, you could _probably_ hide in there, but I don't think it would be very comfortable...Well, I'll bring this little bag for now, but I think we can come up with something more inconspicuous later.”

She grabbed a cross body bag that Marinette had gotten her for her birthday that was just a little _too_ nice to be practical for every day use. One day would be fine, but she knew that if Marinette would see her, it would immediately cause suspicion. Alya rarely carried purses at all, let alone one as nice as this. She hadn't even used it since going to the Louvre Gala with a press pass.

Trixx slipped into the bag, not complaining at all about her means of transportation as long as it meant that she got to venture outside.

“Ready?”

“Ready!” the kwami called from the bag, and Alya left the building, feeling just a bit more weighted than she had earlier that day.

She pulled out her phone as she stepped out, skipping past her Ladyblog notifications for the time being. There was going to be a lot to catch up on later, and she realized that, soon, she would probably be a hero of the blog in a way totally different than being the main photographer and administrator. She wondered if Paris would even take to the Fox with any of the same enthusiasm that they had for Ladybug and Chat Noir, or if they would want photos of her at all. If they _did_ , then she would likely have to become a Peter Parker, setting up her camera in impossible places with a timed shutter to get pictures of herself. Of course that would mean that the closest and most dynamic photos would be of herself, and there would _surely_ be suspicion as to why this new hero had so many better pictures than Ladybug and Chat Noir had when they had been around for so much longer. Alya wondered offhandedly if Marinette and Adrien would agree to a photoshoot, if only so that her future “candids” would blend in better. There was also the small matter that she'd never be able to hold an interview with herself. Not on camera, at least.

“You're getting anxious,” Trixx whispered from the bag.

“Yeah...how can you tell?” Alya asked, thankful her street was pretty empty and that no one would catch her talking to herself.

Trixx laughed. “That's a kwami's own _personal_ intuition. What's got you all worked up?”

“Well,” Alya said, “I run the main blog and news source for heroes in Paris. Well, Miraculous holders. How am I supposed to report on myself with pictures and interviews and have it be natural?”

Trixx giggled inside the bag. “Oh, you're funny.”

Alya noticed how she didn't seem to have a potential solution. Well, that was a bridge that could be crossed when she got to it. She was behind in updating the blog _anyway_ with everything that had been going on lately.

She opened her texts, which is what she had _really_ been meaning to do, and started a conversation with Nino.

**To: Nino L**

**hey coffee @ 3?**

He responded almost immediately.

**From: Nino L**

**for sure, need to talk to you anyway...see you in a few**

Alya raised an eyebrow, wondering what he could _possibly_ need to talk to her about. She really just wanted to remind him that he owed her some money, and catch up with him. She felt kind of bad that he had been left out of so much lately. She shrugged and made her way to a main street to start heading to the coffee shop, hoping that Trixx could find a way to position herself in he bag and still get sun while staying hidden.

 


	2. Part 2

“So, where exactly are we headed?” Trixx asked from Alya's bag. She had to speak up a bit to be heard, but no one around seemed to notice, which was nice. In this part of the city, either the street was completely empty, or it was too busy for individual voices to be picked out, unless you were listening for them. This time, it was the former.

“Just a coffee shop,” Alya said. “Ever been to one?”

“I went to a lot of tea shops in Japan...”

“Mm, not that I've ever been to Japan, but I'm going to bet that a Parisian coffee shop is a bit different.”

Alya looked down and saw that Trixx was still completely concealed her bag.

“Hey, if you want to peak out a little, you can. There's no one around.”

“Oh, I am,” Trixx replied, only slightly muffled. “I'm looking out this tiny crack. Hey, is your street always this quiet? It's kind of nice.”

“Nah, only certain times of day. Would have been pretty convenient if it was always like this.”

“Well,” said Trixx, and though she was concealed, Alya knew she had a mischievous expression. “Since it sounds like we won't always have a chance to have an empty street...wanna try something?”

“What do you have in mind?”

A rustle of her bag caused Alya to look down. Trixx was sticking her head out, a bit more hastily than Alya was comfortable with. Again, it wasn't like anyone was really around, but it made her nervous all the same.

“Do you...want to transform out here?”

Alya's heart skipped a beat. “Are...are you sure? Are you serious?”

“Well, yeah! Why not? Isn't that the whole _point_ of a Miraculous? It's no good if you only transform in your room. You wouldn't want your _first_ outside transformation to be against an akuma...would you?”

Alya swallowed, though her mouth was dry. “No...I suppose not.”

She shook her body out. This wasn't like her. This wasn't like her at all. She was _fearless_. She was fearless for photos, and fearless for interviews, and fearless for her friends. Now she had to be fearless for herself.

“Alright. Let's do it then...um, one second.” She scurried quickly into an alleyway. Empty as the street was, there was no telling who could turn the corner at any time. She was a testament to how easy it could be to be in the right place at the right time and catch a hero. “Okay, Trixx. Stockings up!”

Alya transformed again, as she had in her room, still not entirely used to the sensation of being involuntarily lifted into the air, her clothing melting off of her. She realized that when she had caught Adrien in the middle of his transformation, she hadn't seen so much pomp and circumstance. Little more was seen aside from a flash of light. She supposed that's what anyone spying on her would see as well – a flash of orange light. Not that she especially wanted anyone to see her at all, but it helped knowing that _if_ someone saw her, they wouldn't witness the process of her clothes falling off.

Being transformed outside felt so much different than it had in her room. Of course, it was only her second time, so there wasn't exactly a great pool to make a ratio out of, but she felt so much more _exposed._ She couldn't remember the last time she had shown so much leg in public, and even then, she couldn't remember the last time she had felt so _good_ about it. Confident as she let herself appear, Alya had always felt a bit self conscious about her legs. She had worn jeans every day of the week for the past five years. But now...she felt _great._ About all of herself, legs to strength. She felt exposed, yes, but the exposure only gave her the confidence to go out and _do_ something.

“Trix-,” she started, before remembering that internal communication wasn't exactly a viable option. She shrugged. Oh, well. She _was_ going to ask her kwami about what to do, but what was there _to_ do? It wasn't like she was running off to do some daring heroic deed. She was running to meet Nino, for God's sake. So why not just...run?

Like taking off in a track meet at the sound of a gun shot, she sprinted from her place in between the buildings. Her legs felt lighter, and not just because they were free of fabric. She was simply swifter. She could run faster without getting strains in her hamstrings, or needing heavy breathing. It was incredibly liberating. And then, suddenly, she had an urge that was simply impossible to fight. She wanted to jump. No, _leap_. Bound into the air. And not come down. She wasn't sure what it was in her mind that made her think this was possible, but every muscle she had was screaming to fly.

And suddenly she was. The greatest impulse she had ever felt before took over and she was in the air, feeling as weightless as her legs as she ran...and then she came back to the ground. So she hadn't actually _flown._ But it had certainly felt that way. It was the highest and furthest leap she had ever taken, including during the time her family had owned a trampoline. It would have been impossible to recreate unsuited, but it still wasn't as satisfying as she had hoped it would be.

 _What do Chat and Ladybug do to get up there?,_ she wondered, completely drawing a blank on all of the heroes' methods of operation. _Well, Lady has her yo-yo. And I guess Chat can vault pretty far with his staff...what the hell do I have?_

Had Trixx mentioned anything about getting into the air and how to get _onto_ buildings in order to jump in between them? Not really. There had to be a way, though. It was going to be very difficult to operate from the ground when the other heroes had so much more mobility. She wondered lamely if she could use her tail like a helicopter propeller, like in a cartoon, and immediately laughed the thought off. If that _were_ actually how she would have to fly, she would just be fine with never doing so.

She pulled her fife out of her tail. She supposed it was really all she had. That was her tool, her weapon, the source of most of her power. It was too small to use it to vault with, like the staff, but Trixx had listed so many uses for it, maybe it had one more. In any case, it would be cool to try it out anyway. It wasn't exactly a piano, but how much more difficult could it be to play? Trixx said she was a fan of learning on the job, and what better time to do so than the present? Alya knew the fife was also used for her Outfoxing power, but Chat and Ladybug usually called out the name of their power before using it. She supposed if she didn't say anything about Outfoxing, then the fife wouldn't be used for that and no clone of her would be made.

“Well, let's see, little fife. Can you get me to really move?”

She pressed her lips to it and played as if she had been playing the fife forever. Her fingers moved on their own, and she instinctively knew exactly how to blow. The music that came out was lovely, but there was no way of knowing what this particular song was going to accomplish. She was sure that there were different songs for different results, but it would most likely take a while to learn them all.

Her eyes were closed as she played, for reasons unknown. She supposed it just felt natural. At her first blow, her eyes just shut on their own, like the moment you start to kiss someone. When her song ended and eyes opened, she found herself somewhere totally different – a roof, no less.

“ _Oh_ , God,” she said, swallowing hard when she saw how far down the street was. “Well...Okay, I guess that works, then.”

She looked around, trying to figure out what building she was on, and realized she could no longer see her apartment building. In fact, she realized she was somewhere entirely different.

 _Well, I guess I never really specified_ what _building I wanted to be on top of, but at least I know that's an option now_.

The good news was that she was already much closer to the cafe that she and Nino were going to meet at. The worse news was that the street was so much more crowded. She supposed that she was going to have to run through people eventually, but she had planned for the people to show up much more gradually. She was smack in the middle of the city now, more or less. She wondered if anyone had been looking up and noticed her appear out of thin air.

With a deep breath, she backed up off the edge, and felt the same urge to jump and fly. How hard could it be, really? To jump from roof to roof. She could feel it in her body – her legs and her abdomen – she was capable of it. She had no fear. Perhaps fear of letting people down by being entrusted with a new job, or fear of being accepted or liked, but she had no fear of failing at physical feats. She _could_ leap and reach the next rooftop. It wasn't even a guess. Something in her told her than it was inevitable. Maybe it was Trixx. Maybe that was the limit of their communication.

Not caring if anyone on the street was watching, she took off at a sprint. She had actually forgotten that her suit came with heels. She never would have been able to run in heels like that unsuited, let alone leap several feet in the air. At the edge of the building, she jumped, and it felt like nothing. She had expected her stomach to drop at least, or to falter, but it was as simple as hopping over a puddle, sure-footed and on the solid ground.

The leap gave her the momentum, confidence, and adrenaline to leap to the next building and the next. She might have been a child, hopping from sofa to chair to pillow.

 _The floor is lava_ , she could hear her cousins say in her head. _Don't touch the ground, YaYa! The floor is lava!_

It was a strange and liberating feeling all at once, to feel so childlike and matured at the same time. At the same time, it was the most natural she had ever felt, as if her whole life had been leading up to the point of being guided by a kwami. Based on what Trixx had said, maybe that _was_ the case. Marinette had never mentioned anything like that before, but then, she hadn't known Marinette's secret for _too_ long. So much of that time had been taken up with talks about Adrien and galas and Chat Noir's late night visits. It wasn't like they had been discussing the deep emotions and intricacies of being a blessed hero. Marinette was the type though who had too much self-doubt to feel immediately natural in any position, except perhaps fashion design. She had tried to slip her the earrings on her first day as a hero. Maybe the natural feeling wasn't immediate. Adrien, on the other hand, seemed to exemplify that feeling. Especially now that Alya knew that the model was Chat Noir, it was clear that he poured his true self into his alter ego. She couldn't wait to discuss to emotions and first times with her friends. They didn't even know that she was a fellow Miraculous holder yet. She worried for a minute that they might not be happy she had gotten a Miraculous. Maybe they wanted the job and glory for themselves; but they weren't like that.

It was on her fourth building that Alya began to hear a true, collected commotion down on the ground. Of course, in the middle of the city, there was more of a cacophony than where she lived, but generally, there were hundreds of different indiscernible conversations happening. Now, it sounded like everyone in the city was focused on and reacting to the same thing. They were reacting to _her_.

She went back to the edge of the building parallel to the street and leaned over. Sure enough, a crowd was staring up at the rooftops. Trying her hardest not to be awkward, she waved softly at them before getting back to jumping. They gasped and pointed, and Alya kind of wished that she was close enough to the ground to hear what they were saying. Two rooftops later, she realized how close she was to the the cafe she was meeting Nino at, and pulled out her fife again. She played a light song, this time concentrating on the ground where she wanted to end up.

She felt a bit bad about scaring the civilians around the spot that she materialized, but overjoyed that it even worked. Not staying long enough to talk to said civilians, she smiled softly at them and took off again. _Where the heck to do they transform in the middle of the city?_

Alya supposed that figuring that out was part of the learning process as well. Based on how she discovered Adrien's secret, she didn't suppose that an alley in a _crowded_ location would work so well, and phone booths weren't _actually_ private enough to transform like Superman would. She finally passed an out of the way toilet stall, and though she had to pay to use it, she figured it was good enough. At least no one would come in and bother her. Making sure that no one was watching her, she stepped in and transformed.

“There, Trixx, that wasn't so bad, was it?”

“Not at all! I think you did pretty great! And it'll get even easier as you work at it! You did a great job following your impulses and jumping around like that!”

“Did you have anything to do with that?”

“Well, a little. We do become one in a transformation, after all. I knew you'd be able to do it. Strengthening the impulse was just my way of telling you. Eventually, you'll be able to hear my voice, but some things will always be more convincing. Do you think you'd listen to me if I had just verbally told you to jump off a building, more than listening to an impulse you can't really ignore?”

“Probably not. What about using the fife? Did you influence that, too?”

“Nah, you figured that out on your own. I knew you'd find some way to get up high.”

“I'm glad you have so much faith in me, then. Come on, the cafe is over here.”

Alya went to the cafe as Trixx ducked back down into her bag, and the rest of the city looked around for the nameless hero that has disappeared just as soon as she had shown up.

She was glad to see that Nino was already there, had a table with a free seat for her, and had already ordered her a coffee. It was kind of nice that he always remembered what everyone ordered. It was like a special skill of his.

“Hey! Long time, no see,” Alya said, winking. “I believe you owe me quite a bit of money.”

“You can say that again, Nino said, sipping his coffee slowly.

“What? That you owe me money? Because I have _no_ problem reminding you. You _do_ seem quite eager to hand it over, though. Not that I mind or anything.”

“No. Although we can talk about the bet later. _Long time, no see_. It has been a long time. A very long time.”

“Well, that's kind of just an expression, Nino. It hasn't been _that_ long. We've had school.”

“You know what I mean. I haven't see you outside of school in what feels like... _forever_. Hardly at all since you showed up at my house in your mom's truck asking me questions about Adrien's love life. Which, by the way, I would think you would have known everything about already, since he's with Mari now. And then, when I couldn't help you, you just kicked me right out! And it's not just you. I haven't actually seen Marinette or Adrien all that much, either. It's like all of a sudden, the three of you just...fell off the face of the Earth at the same time. No one has seen you or been able to contact you or _anything._ Even _Chloe_ has been freaking the hell out, because her darling _Adri-chou_ has been AWOL.”

“Well, you see Nino, he _was_ in the hospital.”

“ _Before_ that, even, Alya. But yes, let's talk about the hospital. What hospital even _was_ it? Why the hell was he in there? And why is it that when we were at school on Monday, _you_ were the one to explain to our classmates where he was?”

“He was sick, okay? And I just happened to know. I'm...a reporter. It's what I _do_. I hear things.”

“Oh, give the bullshit a rest, Alya. I'm not dumb. It was a lot more sudden and a lot more hush-hush for that to be it. And with as total absent as you three have been – like in _life_ , not just school – it seems a lot more like this was something being built up to. So tell me – _where have you been?_ Because I'm not as dumb as everyone seems to think, and I'm worried about you guys, and I'm a little hurt that I've just been shut out of everything, and frankly? I miss you.”

Alya sighed sadly. “I...I wish I could tell you, Nino. I really do. It's...a lot more complicated than just... _being absent,_ though.”

“I hope it's a good reason,” Nino said. “And I _am_ glad you're at least present enough to meet me today. I'll be right back.”

He stood up to go to the restroom just as Alya's phone went off. She was kind of glad it was only going off while he wasn't at the table. She didn't want to give him another reason to say she was being “absent.”

“What's up?” Alya asked when she answered the phone.

 _“Hey, did you hear?”_ came Marinette's voice.

“Hear...?”

 _“People are saying they saw a suited hero jumping around! A new one!”_ Then, she got much quieter. _“A...fox hero. You don't think that...?”_

Alya laughed softly, kind of surprised and taken aback that the word was already getting around. “Yeah, I did hear, actually...”

_“And you didn't call me immediately?! Adrien's already freaking out! It's not who I think it is, is it...?”_

“No. I know who it is. In fact...I know her _very_ well.”

 _“You – what?_ ”

“You'll find out soon enough, girl. I gotta go, I'm with Nino. He's kinda pissed at all of us.”

Alya closed her phone before Marinette could go in a famous freak out rampage and smiled at Nino as he came back. He was right – he _wasn't_ dumb, like so many people assumed he was. If he kept it up, maybe he would be the _new_ sleuth that “knew everything.” After, of course, giving her the bet money.

  
  


 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So that was just a short little epilogue. Which leaves still MORE to ponder...but isn't that what happens in a serial? This fic was always meant to feel like something with "episodes" and Silly Hawkmoth, Trixx are for Kids is like two episodes of Season 2.
> 
> I feel like I have to say something, though. I love this story. I love ITHYF and this little sequel. It did so much more me, and as of April 2017, it has now been OVER a year in the making. You guys have poured your love and comments and kudos over me and I cannot possibly describe what it means to me - which is saying a lot because I'm an author. I describe things for a living, pretty much. I love this story and these characters, including those I made up - Bastet, Scarab, and Kitsune. I wish I could write their stories, too. But I cannot. I have been asked to, and I simply cannot. I feel like I'm going to be asked to continue this as well - what happens to Nino? WILL he become the new "Alya?" How to Adrien and Mari react to Alya getting the Fox? How does her first akuma fight go? These are questions I'd love to answer. In fact, if you ask me about them on tumblr (also irlmagicalgirl), I may answer in drabble form. However, this is one of my biggest projects I've ever written, and I need to focus on the projects I actually get paid for now. Besides that, I'm writing for other fandoms that I just...enjoy more. Don't get me more - I ADORE Ladybug and I can't wait for Season 2, but my heart isn't into writing for Ladybug right now like it us for my other fandoms, and my original novels. I MAY write more for this story, but IF I do, it won't be until after Season 2 airs. My entire July-November is booked for working on: my novel, about 5 one shots, a 10 ch fic for a Big Bang for a different fandom, and a 3 month long art competition. I simply don't have time right now to keep writing sequels for a fic that I've burned out on. I finished ITHYF, and I wanted to give you guys a little more before taking a Ladybug hiatus. So please - do not ask me for more updates on this right now (unless you just send a prompt or question I can quickly answer on tumblr). You guys have been so good to me. Better than I deserve. But I need you all to realize that I'm not paid for this and I've kinda been good to you guys, too. I realize asking for updates is another form of flattery, but it makes me feel guilty that I'm not giving this 200% of my time. Even this little piece was a struggle, because I wanted to work on other things. Better forms of flattery, if you want to read my writing more might be to read my other fics if they are fandoms you enjoy, or ask about my original works. Or share this with friends. But until further notice (certainly after November at the earliest), ITHYF is done.
> 
> Thank you so much for all your support and love. You've made me feel like a queen in this past year - and to all of you who have told me that ITHYF is your favorite fic: this is for you.

**Author's Note:**

> I said I'd bring it and I did. 
> 
> Keep in mind that this sequel is not going to be as long as the main story of ITHYF. I have too many other projects to commit another year to just this universe. All the sequel pieces will be ficlets, one shots, or drabbles, and I will add them all to this collection. This one, obviously, is focused on Alya, and will probably be 2-3 chaps long. We can revisit Adrien and Marinette, maybe take a look at Nat and Gabriel again, zoom in on Nino...just little pieces tied to this universe to expand on things that didn't get wrapped up. :)
> 
> I hope you guys like all these previous Miraculous holders I throw in...The Scarab, Bastet, now Kitsune...maybe they'll get a story someday too.


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